Following You
by LoverFromAnotherWorld
Summary: Sakura Haruno is one of the top spies there is. Her lover, Sasuke, has been MIA for quite some time now. She has given up hope, but is she in for a shocking surprise? Lemons, Cussing, Action. Currently Rewriting.
1. Chapter 1: Why Did You Leave Me?

**~Chapter One: Why Did You Leave Me?~**

It was cold. Snow was falling everywhere, gently descending to touch the frozen earth. The neighborhood seemed lifeless, even though the distant drum of speeding cars could be heard in the distance. There was not a soul insight, except for a single person, briskly walking down the street.

The person seemed to be a petite girl, no taller than 5'4", and she seemed unfazed by the cold around her; wearing only a long sleeved shirt, capris, and a cloak draped over her figure. She had her hood up, and you couldn't see much of her face except for her small, pink lips. She seemed to be in a hurry, walking quickly, but not fast enough for it to be considered running. It was a strange sight, to see a lone girl walking down a deserted road.

A little way down, in a secluded area of the neighborhood, stood a lone, modest house, which at most must've consisted of only two bedrooms. It was a simple house, nothing special, but not exactly dull. It had a comfy look to it, and seemed very inviting. The girl turned on the walkway that led up to the house, and after fishing out her keys from her pocket, unlocked and entered her home.

As she entered her house, her cat came forth to greet her, the darkness making its green eyes shine in the brightness. After petting her pet, the girl removed her cloak to reveal her beautiful face. Her skin was a soft peachy color, her face the shape of a heart, and her eyes a vivid emerald green, highlighted by her bright pink, shoulder length hair.

But something seemed to be missing. Her eyes didn't seem to hold much life in them, and haven't for a long time now. Ever since her heart was broken, the girl never seemed to be able to be as lively as she was before. A piece of her was missing forever. Or so it seemed.

"I guess I should check my messages." She wondered out loud, her smooth, soft voice flowing through the house.

She walked to her phone, where the red button was blinking, and pushed it. She sat down as she listened to her messages.

*Beep* _"Sakura, it's me Ino. Where have you been? I've called you, text you and you wouldn't reply! I can understand if you're bummed, but I'm your best friend! Jeeze, I swear, sometimes you get more on my nerves than Naruto himself. Lighten up will ya? Well anyways, I called to ask you to come to the bar and kick it back with us. It will be great! Come over to my place around seven, and we'll head out from there, okay? Bye."_

The girl, whose name we now know as Sakura, glanced at the clock. It read 7:30 and she knew it was too late to go. She just wished Ino wouldn't mind. Ha-ha. She laughed to herself thinking about how they became best friends.

**~Flashback~**

_A young Sakura walked into a classroom, a pink blush adorning her face. You didn't have to think twice to know that she was extremely shy and embarrassed to be here. She wouldn't budge from her space behind the door, and her teacher, Iruka-sensei, had to draw her to the middle of the class._

"_Class, I would like you to meet __Sakura Haruno__, she will be our new student."_

_You could hear muffled laughter in the background; everyone thought she wouldn't last a week in this school. Firstly, she was so quiet and weak looking, and secondly, this was a top notch school for top notch people to come and learn to be spies. If Sakura Haruno thought she has what it takes, she's in for a heap of trouble._

"_Okay Sakura, you can go sit next to Ino over there." Iruka-sensei said as he pointed towards a girl with long, blonde hair in a ponytail. Ino politely raised her hand as she realized Iruka-sensei was pointing at her._

Ugh, why does billboard brow have to sit next to me?_ Ino thought, as Sakura made her way towards her seat. As she sat down, Sakura spoke._

"_Hi, my name is Sakura, what's yours?"_

_Instead of a reply, she was greeted with Ino's cold demeanor. Sakura knew she was going to have a hard time __making friends__ at this school. She couldn't help that she looked so weak…_

"_Alright class, now that I have taken attendance, let's head out to the back for some exercises."_

_All the kids shouted with joy, as they pushed and shoved their way out of the classroom. Sakura patiently waited in her seat until most had left, and began making her way towards the door. She didn't want to get trampled on, and was happy that she didn't because she waited._

_When she reached the training grounds, Sakura gasped. Everyone was training vigorously! Kids as young as five, to as old as fifteen; Sakura couldn't help and just stared at the scene with her mouth agape. Her eyes then landed on her class and on a particular someone._

Sasuke…_ Sakura thought, she heard his name while Iruka-sensei was taking attendance. He looked the most graceful of all, with his calm demeanor and steady set eyes. He was graceful in his movements, and it seemed as if he wasn't trying. No wonder people called him a prodigy; he was absolutely amazing!_

"_Kyaa! Sasuke-kun!" Sakura turned towards the noise, and saw every girl from her class, and other classes too, crowding around the area in which Sasuke was practicing. It was like a fanclub, and Sakura felt a pang of sorriness wash over her. Poor Sasuke had to deal with them every day. Well, she made up her mind and decided never to join the fanclub. But she would still watch him from afar, because she knew she had a little crush on him, despite not knowing anything about him._

_She knew she had to get his attention somehow though, he seemed so lifeless and cold to all the girls. Then Sakura thought of an idea. She would become the strongest spy there is._

_When Ino saw Sakura trying her hardest to throw a kunai straight but failing miserably, she felt a pang of sympathy for her. She realized as her and all the other girls were gawking over Sasuke, Sakura was actually trying to do her best. Ino liked this girl, and decided to help her._

"_Oi, billboard brow, let me show you how it's done." Ino said, as she demonstrated throwing a kunai. Sakura was able to copy her movements with astounding accuracy. Ino smirked._

_She would like this girl, but she wasn't one to be out done._

**~End of Flashback~**

You could hear the soft laughter of the pinkette echo through the empty house. She was only ten back then; it had been eleven years now. Sakura was now twenty-one, and one of the top spies of her days.

She had grown in those years too. She used to be a shy, soft spoken girl, but she had come a long way from that. She was now as headstrong as her friend, Naruto, and could pack real mean punch. She was a quick learner, so made her way to the top with only slight difficulty. At times she seemed to rush into everything at once, but sometimes, she seemed to be wise beyond her years. Everyone knew they could trust and count on Sakura, and she knew she could say the same about her friends.

She walked into her room and sat down on her bed. There was a picture frame that seemed to have been knocked over, and she picked it up to look at it. It was a picture of her team from Konoha Spy Academy, back in the good old days when everyone was happy and care free. Sakura looked at Naruto, Kakashi, and then Sasuke, and couldn't stop the few tears from falling and landing on top of Sasuke's face. She had grown close to all of them over the years, but Sasuke the most. They were best friends, lovers, and soul mates. And all that was taken away from her by one single mistake. Sakura never gotten over it; she hated feeling so weak and alone.

**~Flashback~**

"_Tsunade-sama! Tsunade-sama! Is Sasuke back yet?"_

_The big busted, blonde hair lady turned to look at Sakura with a solemn face; Sakura was her favorite pupil, and loved her like a daughter. She didn't want to watch her heart break, but she knew she had to tell her._

"_Sakura… I'm sorry. Sasuke, he didn't make it. There was an explosion, his teammates did everything they could, but it wasn't enough. I'm sorry Sakura, Sasuke isn't coming back."_

_Sakura couldn't believe it. She could feel the tears running down her face, but she didn't feel the emotion. She felt empty, like her soul had been sucked out of her. Her lover, her life, was gone? How could that be? He had his teammates with him, couldn't they have tried anything? It just wasn't fair! What did she do to deserve this?_

_Sakura fell to the floor with a heart wrenching sob and she could vaguely feel Tsunade trying to comfort her. Sakura knew she would never be whole again, not unless by some miracle, she got Sasuke back._

**~End of Flashback~**

Sakura could feel the migraine coming on. She hated thinking about Sasuke, all the pain would come crashing down on her. She glanced at the heart shaped necklace on her side table; it was the same green as her eyes, with onyx gems that were the same color as Sasuke's. It was her favorite item that she owned, Sasuke had given it to her on her birthday; the day Sasuke confessed his feelings for her. In front of everybody. Sakura's lips tugged into a smile as she recalled the memory. Sasuke wasn't the world's most social person, and let's just say that Naruto, Sasuke's best friend, had gotten beaten to a bloody pulp for saying some things to Sasuke.

Sakura got up to take a nice, long, relaxing shower, but stopped midway as she heard her cell phone ring.

"Ugh, what is it now? And I thought I could finally have some peace."

Sakura slowly walked to her phone, and read the caller ID. It was strange, the number was from work, and they usually never called her on her cell phone unless it was urgent.

"Hello?"

"Haruno-san?" A gruff voice spoke from the other end. Sakura immediately recognized him as Ibiki Morino.

"Morino-sensei?"

"Yes, Sakura, I have some urgent news to tell you. We think we may know of Sasuke's current location."

"What?" Sakura couldn't believe it, Sasuke, alive?


	2. Chapter 2: Sasuke's Whereabouts

_Recap_

_"Hello?"_

_"Haruno-san?" A gruff voice spoke from the other end. Sakura immediately recognized him as Ibiki Morino._

_"Morino-sensei?"_

_"Yes, Sakura, I have some urgent news to tell you. We think we may know of Sasuke's current location."_

_"What?" Sakura couldn't believe it, Sasuke, alive?_

**~Chapter Two: Sasuke's Whereabouts~**

"What do you mean? I though you said he was dead?" Sakura couldn't believe her ears. Her Sasuke, her soul mate, is alive? She would do anything in her power to have him back. And that was saying a lot considering she is one of the top spies.

"We never said he was dead; he was labeled as MIA. But never mind that, I was wondering if you could come down to headquarters so we can discuss what course of action we should take."

_Discuss?_ Sakura already knew what she was going to do; find Sasuke! And if they already know his whereabouts, that should be a piece of cake. _Bahaa, Sasuke hates cake._

"I'm on my way."

_Ready or not, Sasuke, here I come.*_

**~Following You~**

You could hear the hurried clicking of heels echoing in the empty hallways of the Konoha Yakuza** Headquarters. Sakura was almost running, thinking of what she could do, who she should take to save Sasuke. And all of a sudden, the clicking stopped.

One question raced through her mind; the one question she didn't know the answer to.

_Who has Sasuke?_

Whoever it is, they must be very strong to keep Konoha's top spy captive for so long. A dreadful foreboding could be felt throughout the building, its source originating from Sakura. She began walking again, but this time, her steps were heavy, and not as eager as they were before.

Oof.

Sakura landed on her ass, and she bumped her head into something hard. She looked up to see Neji standing unfazed, as if Sakura hadn't just bumped into him. He held out his hand to help Sakura up, and she shrunk back once she stood to her full height. She knew she wasn't very tall, and although Neji was like a brother to her, it was still intimidating when his 6'2" dwarfed her 5'4". And his soul-searching grey eyes didn't help much either.

"Something's on your mind." He stated, as if it was the most natural thing to know.

"Sasuke." Was all she said, and began walking again. She could feel Neji's presence behind her; close enough for her to feel safe, but far enough for her not to be uncomfortable. Silence was all that could heard as they made their way to the Hokage's meeting room, Sakura wondering what the outcome of all this would be…

In front of them stood two large doors, the color of black with a red trim. On one door, on a golden plate, where the words KONOHA YAKUZA, and on the other, were the words HOKAGE.

Sakura knocked, and a loud, demanding "Enter" could be heard.

Sakura took a deep breath, and focused her thoughts on getting Sasuke back. "Here goes nothing."

**~Following You~**

Sakura looked around her and smiled. Of all the people that worked here, she was glad that these people were the ones who knew about Sasuke, and would be with her every step of the way. Rookie Nine; with the addition of Neji, Lee, Tenten, and Sai of course. She could see the Sand Siblings in one corner of the room, Gaara in his Kazekage attire. She saw her old sensei Iruka and Kakashi. And in the middle of the room sat her master and mother-like figure, Tsunade-sama.

"Glad that you could join us, but I'm not so surprised, considering who is our topic today."

That caused a lot of snickers around the room. Even Neji, who rarely showed emotion, could be heard laughing quietly. And Sakura swore she saw a faint smirk on the Kazekage's lips.

"Can we get this over with?" Sakura finally spoke, feeling the blush that was making its way onto her cheeks.

"Yeah, Baa-chan! Let's hurry it up and fast forward to the action part! Ow, that hurt!" Naruto complained mid-rant, as Tsunade threw a book at him. You could see the veins popping in her forehead.

"How many times have I told you not to call me Baa-chan, brat? Now Sakura, will you please take a seat so we can get on with our meeting?" Tsunade said as she changed her tone from pissed off, to scaring sweet, as she spoke from Naruto to Sakura.

Sakura quickly hurried to sit next to Ino, who was texting furiously on her cell phone.

"Billboard brow."

"Ino-pig."

Ah, friendship was so sweet.

"So as you all know, we may have some ideas as to where Sasuke can be. I know it has been a while since we had lost him, almost 9 months, and we all assumed him to be dead. But we have found new evidence to think otherwise. Well, it's more like Sasuke's telling us himself; wait, it is Sasuke telling us. I want you all to listen very closely to this voicemail Sasuke left us. You may find it to be very interesting…"

'"…_*static* bzzt *static* Hello? I don't have much time… *static* I have so much to say. But, haah, I can't tell you everything yet.' Gunshot. 'I'm alive, but you guys must know that by know, huh? I'm not exactly safe, but I'm okay. The people though, they're crazy.' *Maniacal laughter in the background.* 'They do tests on humans, tests that usually go horribly wrong. The snake guy, he scares me. It's like he wants something from me, and I heard him say that too. His arms are messed up, and he wants mine. But not just my arms, my whole body.' *Screaming* 'I've never been this scared before. I need your help. Please, please, help me. But… DON'T send Sakura. Don't tell her. She has to be safe…' *Footsteps heard running in the background* 'They're coming…' *click*"_

Everyone was silent. They never heard Sasuke that scared before. He sounded like he was truly frightened, like he was just a little kid who was scared the bullies would pick on him again. Everyone was speechless, and people were almost afraid to look at Sakura.

Tears were falling down her face freely, she didn't care that everyone was watching. Sasuke was alive, and that recording was definitely him, but what did that do to him? He sounded so scared; Sakura wished he was here so she could hug him close. The bastards. She wanted to kill them. She wanted them to go through the same agony they put Sasuke through; but no, she wasn't that heartless. All she wanted was Sasuke back.

"Sakura…?" Naruto asked, gently touching her shoulder. She looked up before tackling him with a fierce hug, her sobs echoing to the solemnly silent room. Everyone knew what Sasuke meant to Sakura, but no one would ever understand the feelings. It was only for Sasuke to know, but everyone knew that they loved each other deeply, despite Sasuke being so anti-social.

"We believe," Tsunade began, clearing her throat. "that Sasuke is right now prisoner to a man named Orochimaru, a deranged scientist who enjoys testing his so-called 'experiments' on human beings. He has been charged for murder, rape, molest, assault, and countless other offenses. He had escaped prison about a decade ago, and we haven't heard of him since. Till now. We believe that his hideout is located somewhere in the Sound area; two days, nonstop journey from here. I want to create a team of five people to go and investigate, I repeat, investigate the area and problem, and if deemed possible, attempt to retrieve Sasuke. And if not, I would expect you to come back immediately so we can decide on how to approach the situation.

Any questions?"

The room stayed silent. Although it seemed unfair that they might have to come back without Sasuke, they knew it would be the smart thing to do. Even Sakura, who had finished crying before Tsunade began speaking, knew that they may have to do that.

"So, who wants to go on a mission?"

**~Following You~**

* This sentence is just too funny . I'm so ashamed of my pervertedness… NOT

**It's called yakuza cause that's what they are, a yakuza. But they're still good guys. :D

I'm so sorry I updated late, but I was busy reading other fanfics ..

But if you guys have any suggestions as to who should be in the group going to the mission, please review! And if there is someone you would like to see more of in the story, review also!

Arigatoo Gozaimasu. :]


	3. Chapter 3: I Think It Should Be Me

_Recap_

_The room stayed silent. Although it seemed unfair that they might have to come back without Sasuke, they knew it would be the smart thing to do. Even Sakura, who had finished crying before Tsunade began speaking, knew that they may have to do that._

_"So, who wants to go on a mission?"_

**~Chapter Three: I Think It Should Be Me~**

"Oo! Me, Baa-chan, pick me! I wanna go! I wanna go!" Naruto's shouts could be heard throughout the whole building. The obnoxious brat didn't know when to keep quiet. Probably everyone in all of Konoha could hear him.

"What about me! I should go too! Who's gonna take care of blondie, huh?" Kiba yelled equally as loud. Seriously, how did those two even get into Konoha Yakuza?

"Oh, my youthful friends! How youthful friends you are and so eager to go save the wonderfully youthful Sasuke-kun?" Lee. Enough said.

Over all the commotion, no one noticed Tsunade's brow twitching, and the anger behind her golden brown eyes. And if you looked closely enough, you could see the veins popping on her forehead. And overall, she looked as if you could kill everyone in the room in a single heart beat. She was about to blow…

"Naruto, Kiba, Lee! Shut the fuck up before I shut you up! If you want to go, I suggest you sit down and behave and act like the spies you truly are! Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama, sir!" And with that, the three of them sat down, no one noticing their mistake of calling Tsunade, 'sir'.

Tsunade sat down too, massaging her forehead with both hands.

"Shizune, go get me some sake!"

"Yes Tsunade-sama!"

"Okay now, back to business. I want to send a team that I know will be able to defend themselves, and hopefully help their teammates too. I want people who aren't afraid of dying on this mission, and are willing to engage in battle if the need arises. I can't afford sending someone who wouldn't be strong enough to at least defend themselves against Orochimaru's men. They most probably are strong beyond belief, but crazy as well, and would attack even if ordered not to. Do I make myself clear? Now who is still willing to risk their life to save Sasuke?"

At first no one stirred, they were thinking over this as well as they could. It's not because they didn't want to save Sasuke, it was because if they weren't the type of person Tsunade described, they could be putting the mission in danger. They have to be able to protect themselves at the very least against very intimidating men. If they couldn't handle that, the mission would surely be a failure.

The first hand suddenly shot up. Everyone looked at the hand, eyes slowly traveling down the creamy, pale skin, finally seeing the face that belonged to none other than Sakura.

Then heads suddenly turned to Tsunade. People would imagine how they couldn't have gotten whiplash from turning their heads so fast. Even Gaara seemed to be interested into what was about to unfold.

Tsunade was still, hands folded in front of her face, expression emotionless. What was she going to say? Was she going to let Sakura, who was like a daughter to her, go on this highly dangerous mission? This was an S-rank mission we are talking about. What would she do?

"Sakura…" Tsunade began speaking, only to be interrupted by the pinkette in front of her.

"Tsunade, I have to go. I know that you're worried about my well-being, and want to keep me safe, but I'm a grown woman now. You know perfectly well as I do that I can more than take care of myself. I am the top woman spy there is, and I think I could be a valuable addition to the team. I am also a skilled medic, and you wouldn't have to spare one for the team since they would have me. And I know not to get my feelings for Sasuke in the way, but I have to do this. I have to, Tsunade. Please understand, but I will go, whether you assign me or not."

What she had said was true; Sakura had to go, not only for herself, but for Sasuke too.

"Sakura… you're right. And I'm proud of you. You have come so far, and I'm so proud that I can call you my pupil. But I worry about you, and I want you to be safe. But I can't exactly stop you from going, so I wish you the best of luck. I know with you, the mission will succeed, and everyone will arrive home safely."

"Thank you, Tsunade."

"Now, are there any other volunteers?"

"I would like to go." The speaker being identified as Neji. Shocked murmurs spread throughout the room, and Gaara narrowed his eyes dangerously. Sasuke and Neji weren't exactly the best of friends.

"Neji, are you sure you want to go?"

"Yes. Since Sakura is going, I feel that I should be with her, for I know I can protect her if the need arises, and I am also very skilled in hand-to-hand combat as well as sword play, and I can handle a gun very well. I believe you have no objections?"

Tsunade knew that Neji thought of Sakura as a little sister, though how the two grew close was a mystery to her and everyone else present. "Very well; anyone else?"

"Pick me, baa-chan!" Naruto bounced excitedly in his seat, trying to get her attention. "I wanna go save Sasuke-teme!"

"Fine! I'll finally get some peace and quiet around here. And how many times have I told you not to call me baa-chan, brat!" Tsunade said, as a random lamp sailed past Naruto's head.

"Yay!" Naruto started doing a little victory dance on the table, happy and excited to be going on an S-rank mission.

"Shikamaru, I would also like you to go with them, you being a great strategist and all, and be the leader of this team. Hopefully you four will be enough, but I will set aside a small group in case you every need backup. I trust your decisions, and I expect you to not let us down."

"Maa… how troublesome." Everyone sweat-dropped at that. Typical Shikamaru.

"This meeting is now at an end. I expect the four who were assigned to this mission to be back at the break of dawn. Do not be late. You are dismissed."

After the room cleared out, Tsunade let out a long sigh.

"I need my sake."

**~Following You~**

Blond hair blew in the night breeze as a girl; excuse me, a woman walked at a pleasant place in the direction of what seemed to be her home. Ino Yamanaka, with her bright blonde hair and shocking blue eyes that could almost rival that of Naruto's slowly made her way down the street at a leisurely pace. Her eyes danced with liveliness, but her heart screamed otherwise. She was worried, but who wouldn't be when their best friend was leaving and possibly never coming back?

Ino felt as if nothing was going right in her life. Her best friend going on an S-rank mission, tension from her upcoming tests at her universities, and the fact that her love life was down below, she couldn't think of anything else that could ruin her even more. She realized Shikamaru could never love her the way she thought she loved him; it was obvious that he was head over heels in love with Temari. But she felt no jealousy, as she had gotten over her crush a while ago. But she couldn't help but wonder, is there anyone for her out there?

She didn't notice Sai walking next to her until he spoke up.

"What's on your mind?"

Ino looked up to see Sai walking while looking at her intently, as if searching for the answer that could somehow be hidden in her face.

"Sai… ah, it's nothing really. I'm just worried, you know, about Sakura leaving an all. And my college exams are coming up too, so I'm really stressed out."

"Something else is bothering you, is there not?

Damn him and his straightforward attitude and his ability to read her like an open book.

"I'm just wondering if I'll ever be able to find someone that's just for me. Sakura has Sasuke, Naruto has Hinata, and Shikamaru has Temari. Sometimes I feel left out, you know? And I feel like no one likes me, for me, and just the way I look."

"Mm, well, I think you're a wonderful girl who's head strong and is annoying at times, but a loyal friend and fun to be around." Flashing a small, but real, smile, Sai walked off in the direction of his home, leaving a dumb-founded Ino standing in the street corner.

_Was he telling me the truth, or was he just saying what he thought should be said?_ Ino hoped it was the truth…

**~Following You~**

Somewhere on a different road, Neji Hyuuga walked at a brisk pace towards his own home. He had felt the presence awhile ago, and was waiting to see if the person would approach him, or if he should just out walk said person. It was getting quite annoying, playing this game of cat and mouse, and for some reason, Neji felt as if _he_ was the mouse.

Coming to a signal where surprisingly quite a few cars where on, Neji stopped walking, waiting for the crosswalk signal to let him pass. The presence had stopped behind him too, at a respectable distance, but then suddenly started approaching him.

Neji felt someone grab his arm in a solid grip, and being pulled to turn around and face his captor.

"Gaara." Said man just stared intently at the Hyuuga, trying to figure out what he was thinking.

"Neji." The stare down began. Neither moved a muscle while waiting to see who would make the first move. To them, it was a sign of weakness to even twitch, and if they were any ordinary people, one of them would have succumbed by now.

Neji looked away first, but only to check the signal to see if he can cross yet. Gaara took that as a sign of giving in.

"Neji, I do not want you to go on this mission. Why not let someone else take your place?"

"I am not so weak that I can't go on this mission, and you of all people should know that. I am not going to withdraw from my position just because you expect me to. Sakura needs me, and I feel I can be a great asset to the team."

Gaara stared at Neji dangerously. Had he really just said that? Was he really going to risk his life for some stupid girl? Not that he didn't like Sakura, more than that he just didn't want Neji to get hurt.

"Fine, do as you wish. But if you die…" Gaara didn't finish his sentence as he abruptly turned around and stalked off, going who knows where.

"What was that about?" Neji wondered aloud, and turned around just in time for the signal signaling to him to walk.

**~Following You~**

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

The heart wrecking scream echoed throughout the shallow cave, where the people, if that's what you can call them, stopped for just one second as they listened.

In a different room, secluded from the others, Sasuke was strapped onto a bed, burn and cut marks all over his body, indicating that he had gone through some kind of torture.

"You like that, don't you Sssasssuke?" A snake like man spoke, as his assistant cleaned the knife he just used. "Oh, we're going to have ssso much fun with you."

Sasuke could feel himself losing consciousness, and he tried to will it away. He had been through much more torture than this and still be able to keep awake, but had spending all this time here really made him that weak?

"…bastard…" Sasuke meekly let out, suddenly get punched in the stomach by the same man he insulted.

"Now, now, Sasuke, we wouldn't want to be a bad boy now, would we? Why don't you just cooperate with me, and before you know it, the pain would be gone. And you could see your friends and family again."

The idea that this could all be over was really tempting, but he knew what the snake man wanted, and wouldn't give himself up for anything. He just hoped everyone back at Konoha Yakuza Headquarters got his message.

"…never…" Sasuke said as he began to blackout, and the last thing he saw was the silver-haired assistant, speaking to the snake man.

"Orochimaru…"

**~Following You~**

So what do you think? Is it good, or is it good? Bahaa, well review, ne? Criticism is appreciated, but no flames please! Arigatou Gozaimasu! Ja!


	4. Chapter 4: The Start and a Story

_Recap_

_"…never…" Sasuke said as he began to blackout, and the last thing he saw was the silver-haired assistant, speaking to the snake man._

_"Orochimaru…"_

**~Chapter Four: The Start and a Story~**

_!_

A loud echoing crash was heard as the poor alarm clock met its fate smashed against the wall. The cocoon in the middle of the bed stirred slightly, a pale appendage sticking out from under the blankets.

"Unhh…" The cocoon shifted, revealing slender, pale legs; while the arms where overhead as the person stretched. Getting up and rubbing the sleep the sleep out of her eyes, bright green orbs peered about the room, trying to figure out the time. Pink bubble-gum hair was sticking out at odd ends, and a strap of her tank top had fallen down her shoulder.

Finally, jade orbs landed on the broken alarm clock near the wall, and another groan emitted from the soft pink lips.

"That alarm clock cost twenty dollars! Ugh, now I have to buy another one. And… oh shit! What time is it?"

The petite girl quickly shot out of bed, and ran to the kitchen to check what time it was. She skidded to a halt, bumping into the island at the center of her kitchen. 4:50. Damn, she was late.

"Oh, Sakura Haruno, you choose the day of the mission to wake up this late. Fick mein leben!"**(1)**

With the speed that could rival that of Lee, Sakura took a quick shower, got dressed, ate breakfast, checked her supplies and was out the door in a record-breaking 30 minutes, and still managed to look presentable. Now all that was left was to get to headquarters in… less than 10 minutes! And once again, Sakura dashed off, and in the background, you could her Lee saying, "Oh! I feel as if a youthful someone has matched my youthfulness!"

**~Following You~**

"Troublesome."

Shikamaru said once again, checking his watch for the umpteenth time. Sakura had arrived just ten minutes ago, looking quite worn out as she leaned on her knees, trying to get her panting breath evened out. If Kakashi was here, he would've mentioned that she looked as if she just finished a sex marathon, and Sakura would've then strangled him. Neji had been the first to arrive, looking as stoic as ever, while Shikamaru, on the other hand, looked as if he just got out of bed, and proceeded to fall on the floor and look at the clouds. And all that left was Naruto… "Troublesome."

"Ugh! Where is the dumbass! He should've been here ten minutes ago. When I see him, he's gonna wish he never even left his house. Why I outta-"

"-Sakura-chan! Naruto the Great has arrived!" Naruto shouted as he, finally, got to headquarters, not sensing his impending doom.

"Naruto, I'm going to kill you!" And with that, Sakura began chasing Naruto, while he screamed for his life and for god to save him.

"Tro-"

"-Don't even say it."

**~Following You~**

Sakura, Neji, Shikamaru and Naruto were lined up, waiting for the directions of their mission. Sakura had finished beating up Naruto and was as calm as ever. And Naruto was too, despite looking as if he had been hit with a steel bat repeatedly on his face… which he had. The building which housed Headquarters seemed to be an average building of an average company. But inside, it was completely different. With sleek interior and state-of-the-art equipment, the Konoha Yakuza Headquarters Building was beyond amazing. Countless people were typing away furiously on brand-new laptops, and others were heading out to or coming in from a mission. Countless of hallways led to rooms of different caliber. Currently, the quartet was standing in the weapon room with Tsunade, while Tenten, the weapons manager was picking out the supplies needed for their journey.

"The journey will be long and rough, and since this is more of an investigating mission, I will be giving you a limited amount of supplies. Use your weapons wisely; I don't think I'll be able to give you that many, so try to be unnoticed. You're going to have to make them last."

While Tsunade said this, she and the rest looked pointedly at Naruto, who rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"What're you guys looking at me for? I know not to do something stupid, have more faith in me, will ya?"

Just then, Tenten came in, holding four pairs of SS 550 rifles. She also had a couple of grenades, four hand pistols, knives, and two swords for Neji and Sakura. Extra bullets, a safety-kit, GPS and other hi-tech instruments were included in the heap.

"Well here ya go, some of the best weapons we have. Light yet effective, and they go with pretty much every outfit." Tenten said, as she dropped the items onto the table in front of the assassins. "This should last you the whole time as long as you use your bullets and grenades wisely. And as long as you don't get hurt so much."

"Thank you, Tenten. Well now, since you have everything you need, I'll brief you in-"

"Gah, so cool!" Tsunade was interrupted as Naruto shouted, cradling the gun against his chest and jumping up and down.

_BANG_

There was a deafening silence, as Tsunade glared at Naruto, who tried to look anywhere but at her. Sakura stared at Naruto with sympathy in her eyes, Neji just stared straight ahead, and Shikamaru Tch-ed and rolled his eyes. While Tenten just stared at the new hole in the wall.

"…NARUTO! I'm gonna kill you!" Tsunade roared, and that commenced the almost daily Tsunade-chases-Naruto ritual.

**~Following You~**

"Naruto, wait!"

The four were just about to exit the gate of Konoha, but turned around to see Hinata running as fast as she could towards them.

"Ah, Hinata-chan. Why are you here? I told you already that I'm not going to take you, and please don't follow me." Naruto said, as he stared at Hinata with eyes filled to the brim with love and concern for his girl.

"N-Naruto, don't worry, I know that if I tagged along, all I would do is cause trouble, but I just wanted to give you something." Hinata spoke in the shy voice, though she lost her stutter long ago.

Hinata pulled out a necklace, which shone from the light of the bright sun. The necklace had an orange fox which was hollowing upwards on a gold chain. The fox seemed to have gleam of its own, and in the right lighting, it looked as if the fox was breathing. It was breath-taking.

Naruto grabbed the necklace and put it on, while a warm feeling spread through his chest. He then leaned in close, his lips ghosting over Hinata's; his eyes half lidded.

"Hinata-chan… thank you." And with those words, He closed the distance between him, letting his emotions flow through the kiss, hoping Hinata would realize what she meant to him.

Hinata broke the kiss first, only to tackle Naruto into a fierce hug, and with tears flowing and her face in his chest, Hinata whispered; "Come home soon."

**~Following You~**

The moon shone brightly, illuminating the forest with a smooth, white light as four lone spies traveled quietly with astounding stealth. They stopped in a clearing up ahead, and it was obvious that they would set up camp here. Each person set out to do their jobs. Naruto went to collect firewood, Shikamaru went to find some water, and Neji and Sakura began setting up the tents.

A comfortable silence descended on the clearing, as Neji and Sakura helped each other with their jobs. Soon they were able to get the tents up, build a pit for the fire, and anything else that needed to be done. They sat down waiting for Naruto and Shikamaru to show because they needed water and the firewood to make dinner. Neji sat stiffly as Sakura watched the stars, obviously having something on her mind.

"Ne, Neji…"

"Hm?"

"Do you think Sasuke is okay?" Green, innocent eyes bore into pale lavender ones, as if expecting them to know the absolute truth.

"I don't know Sakura; we have to hope for the best."

"Neji… why did you come? I know you don't hate Sasuke, but I do know you and him aren't the best of friends."

"I had to make sure you were safe at all times. Even if we do find Sasuke, I doubt he'll have enough energy to defend himself, much less you."

Sakura rolled over onto her stomach, resting on her arms to keep her head up. Neji stretched out so that his arms were behind him keeping him up and his legs were spread out in front of him. Sakura was looking at him intently, trying to find a different answer that could perhaps be written on his face.

"Humph. I'm a big girl you know, I can defend myself. But… thank you, Neji. After all these years, you'd always been by my side. You were one of my first friends, and you're also the best. And I thank you for that, Neji Hyuuga. Thank you for being my best friend."

Neji could feel a ghost of a smile on his lips and looked at Sakura as she stared right back, almost as if challenging him to say something contradictory. But instead, he got up and after ruffling Sakura's hair, which resulted in a profound "Hey!" Neji made his way to his tent and off to bed.

Sakura just gazed at the spot where Neji was just seconds before, before smirking slightly and shaking her head.

"Does that mean you don't want dinner?"

**~Following You~**

Sakura and her teammates ate dinner in a peaceful silence, while Neji still hadn't come out of his tent. The spies were strangely quiet; they all had something on their minds. Shikamaru was thinking about different strategies they could use when and if they faced Orochimaru or his henchmen, Sakura was worrying about Sasuke, and Naruto, well…

"Haa…"

The pinkette and brunette looked up when they heard Naruto sigh. It sounded as if he was truly trouble, and his teammates were truly worried about his well being.

"Is something the matter, Naruto?" Expectant green eyes looked at her close friend whom she now considered as a brother, trying to catch his eye. But he seemed expectant on avoiding them.

"I don't know… Sakura, how sure are you that Sasuke-teme will be, well, alive?"

Shock hit Sakura in waves. _Is Naruto really worried about something like that?_ Sakura couldn't understand why Naruto, who usually was so optimistic, be so pessimistic. Something was wrong…

"Naruto, of course Sasuke will be okay. He sent us the message yesterday, what are the odds o him dying in less than 24 hours?" Leave it to Shikamaru to be as logical as possible.

"Naruto… don't you believe Sasuke will make it? Aren't you his best friend? So why are you so upset…?"

"Sakura-chan, you don't understand. I… I know what Orochimaru is like, believe it."

"But Naruto, how would you know?" You could hear the gears turning in Shikamaru's head, as he was trying to figure out what Naruto was talking about.

"I… I don't know if I can tell you…"

Sakura placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder in a sisterly gesture, and used her free hand to make Naruto look her in the eyes. _You can ALWAYS tell us __**anything**__._

"It's a long story, but it started when I was really young."

***~Naruto's Story~***

"Daddy! Daddy look! Look what I caught! All by myself, too!" A mini Naruto, no older than 4 years old shouted as he ran towards his father, a tall well built man who looked like an older version of the little chibi.

Naruto's dad, Minato, looked up from his papers that he was going through, looking at his son and feeling a smile on his face. His son was all dirtied up, mud on his hands, face and hair, and he was holding a little baby frog with the happiest expression on his face.

_He reminds me so much of Kushina_, Minato thought, as he ruffled his son's hair, earning himself a pout.

"Wow, Naruto, where did you find the little guy? Have you named him yet?"

"I found him by the lake! Isn't he so cute? His name is Gamakichi! He can be part of our family, right Dad? We'll be a happy family, you, me, and of course Gamakichi, believe it!"

Naruto was jumping up and down with excitement, stuttering over words from talking to fast about how they were all gonna be a happy family. His eyes were shining brightly with unconditional happiness, and the poor frog in Naruto's hands kept croaking loudly even though he went unnoticed. Minato sat quietly, watching as his son talked animatedly, his smile small and his thoughts upsetting. He couldn't help but wish that his son, his beautiful baby, be protected from the outside world that seems to haunt Minato.

"…and maybe we can go to the movies. And I can take him to school! He's gonna be my best friend, and he'll sit right next to me. Though I'm kinda scared cause I won't know anyone, but I'll have 'Kichi to look after me and – hmph." Naruto was silenced after his dad pulled him into a hug, his head resting in his son's golden locks.

"…Dad?" Naruto felt wetness on his cheeks, and for a second, he thought he was crying, but then he realized that it was his father.

"Dad, are you okay?" Naruto puller away a bit to look at his father, and wipe the tears from under his eyes.

"Yes son, I'm okay. I just, I love you, Naruto."

"I love you too, Dad."

**-The Accident-**

"Dad I'm home. My first day of kindergarten was great! …Dad?"

Naruto stood quietly, as he stared down the hallway. No noise was heard, and Naruto was beginning to worry. He didn't like the strange feeling he was getting. He was a four-year-old, it was all so confusing for him.

Suddenly, he heard a scraping noise, followed by muffled voices. It sound like more than one, and from what Naruto could tell, one of them sounded angry, **very** angry.

Naruto felt as if he should run out the house, and keep running until he found someone who could help him. But he knew his dad was still here, and he wasn't going to leave without him.

With surprising stealth a four-year-old could muster, Naruto crept down the hallway towards the door to his father's office, the muffled voices getting louder.

"-the fucking brat."

"I don't know, but we have the man, why don't we just go?"

"No! Master wants us to bring the brat too."

Naruto didn't understand what they were talking about, but with each step, he felt a dreadful foreboding. _Who are these people? Where is my daddy?_

Naruto made it to the door, and grabbing the door handle, gently pushed open the door far enough so he could see inside. Bringing his face to the crack, took a peek. The only thing he could see well was a mop of golden hair, dirtied with the color of read, and that moment, he knew, something was wrong. He knew he should've ran far away, away from this unsafe place but he had to make sure… "Dad?"

It went deathly quiet. The voices had stopped talking, and all that could be heard was muffled breathing. This was his chance. Naruto could have taken this moment to run, but he was shocked stiff. And suddenly the door jerked open, and Naruto saw the bloodied face of his father…

"Gotcha."

A man with a black mask around his face and circle rimmed glasses was the last thing Naruto say before he blacked out. _DADDY!_

…

The steady noise of water dripping, probably from a leaky pipe, was the noise that Naruto woke to. He could hear the scurrying of little mice feet, and the sound of his own breath. It was humid down here, and extremely dark, which was terrifying to the young boy who was still scared of the dark. The only source of light came from a teeny tiny window high up, the gap just big enough to bring in breathable air. The stench was disgusting, as if someone left something dead for years and never took it out. If Naruto strained his ears enough, he could faintly hear the sound of someone moaning from pain, and the hushed whispers of the guards outside. He began to feel lightheaded, as he felt as if he was breathing through a straw. The door opened, and the light was so bright that Naruto had to shield his eyes. His vision blurred, and as if speaking from far away, he heard a guard say, "…kill him." And at that moment, everything went black.

**...**

_A-am I… am I dead?_

The boy drifted into consciousness slowly. First he felt the hardness of a metal bed under him. Then he felt the cuffs around his wrists and ankles. Then the dull throbbing in his head became more profound, until it turned into a full blast migraine. And then, the unbearable pain. Naruto felt a scream rip through his throat as he felt the pain all over his body. It felt as if he was being burned all over, and just as quickly putting ice on his body. He could feel the coolness of blood on his arms and chest, running down his thighs and dripping onto the ground. He felt wetness on his cheeks, and somewhere in the back of his mind labeled it as tears, but in truth it was the poor child's blood. He screamed over and over, each scream being quieter, but the emotion behind it the same. Finally, the roars of pain died down to a pathetic whimper, lip quivering, tears falling. The pain was there, and it was still horrible, but Naruto withstood it. He felt himself slowly drifting away, until he felt the unnatural cold of a knife on his cheek. And the unmistakable hiss of a snake near his ear.

But when Naruto finally opened his eyes to brave the beast, he never imagined he would stare into the amber eyes of some unmistakably evil man. His sickly pale skin contrasted with his long dark hair, and his eyes held no warmth, only malice. His lips twisted into a disgusting smirk, and Naruto for once in his short four years of life, felt unconditional fear.

"W-who are y-you? What do you want?"

"I only want to play, Naru-chan. Don't you want to play with me too?" The scary man smiled to show a row of disgusting yellow teeth.

"I-I want m-my d-daddy…"

"Well why didn't you say so? He's right here."

The man stepped to the side, revealing Minato. It took Naruto a while to register who that man was, for it was hard for him to believe it was his father. The man was tied to a bed similar to his, except it was completely upright, making it seem as if he was standing. His face was swollen, and blood dripped from various wound all over his body. There was a hole near his heart where a bullet must have hit, and he was covered in dirt and grime. And even though he was unconscious, it seemed as if he had already admitted defeat, for his shoulders were slumped and his head was hanging down. It was impossible to believe that that man, who looked so small and defeated, was Naruto's dad, the immortal superhero who could do anything and everything.

But when Naruto realized that it was, in fact, his father, Naruto lost his thoughts, and thrashed wildly as animalistic roars echoed in the dark cavern. He tried to get free, to help his father, but his attempts were futile. And finally, after what seemed like years of trying, Naruto calmed down, and could only stare helplessly at the immobile form of his father.

"Now now, Naruto-kun, you hurt my feelings. I feel as if you don't want to be here, but all I want to do is play." The man spoke as he strode towards Naruto only to stop mere inches from his face. Grabbing his hair in a harsh grip, he made Naruto turn his head and spoke,

"Don't you want to play with Uncle Orochimaru-sama?"

And Naruto did what any child could think of doing, he spit in the man's face.

"Ew! You disgusting little brat! I was gonna be nice, but now you'll learn once and for all to never underestimate me! NEVER!" Orochimaru's face contorted to pure rage, and he grabbed a big carving knife, holding it in front of his face for the poor boy to see.

"I'll carve you, leave my mark on your skin, and you'll never be able to forget me for as long as you live. Which hopefully won't be too long."

With those words, Orochimaru carved six whisker like marks on Naruto's cheeks, three on each side, and laughed maniacally as Naruto's pain filled screams.

"Oh poor boy, you poor, poor thing. If you can't handle this, how will you be able to stomach what happens next?"

And then the man took the same knife, and walked over to Minato. Then, as if he was doing something down every day, calmly plunged the knife deep into his skin, earning a pain filled scream from Minato, thus waking the man up. And all he did was scream, as Orochimaru continued to carve out the man heart, all the while with a calm expression on his face. And poor Naruto, forced to watch this inhumane torture, screamed until he lost his voice, chanting over and over in his head that his father wouldn't, couldn't, die. But alas, Minato Namikaze had stopped screaming long ago, and laid still as Orochimaru literally ripped out his heart. That was the end of Minato Namikaze, the Godaime Hokage, leader of the Konoha Yakuza, and the very special father of Naruto Namikaze-Uzumaki.

***~End of Naruto's Story~***

"I then blacked out, and when I woke up I was in the hospital where Baa-chan worked. I went through years of therapy, and still go to a session at least once every four months. I have never forgotten that time though, for I am reminded every time I look into a mirror or someone mentions my scars. Orochimaru was a sick cruel man, and I know that if he tried enough, he could break Sasuke beyond repair."

Naruto finished calmly, but one could see the swirl of emotions reflected in Naruto's eyes. Anger. Sadness. Despair. Loss. All those emotions and more could be seen in the eyes of Konoha's number one most unpredictable spy. And no one knew, for he hid it so well. Not even Sakura, who is one of Naruto's most important people, knew. And it broke her heart to know the pain he had to go through.

"Oh Naruto… Naruto… why? Why did you never tell anyone? We could've helped you go through it."

"I know Sakura, but I just… this was, is, something I have to do on my own. And I'm doing it. I'm making it through, and maybe one day I'll be able to finally be free from it."

Sakura cut him off as she gave him a fierce hug, tears flowing freely down her rosy pink cheeks. Her baby brother went through all this pain? And Sakura felt it too, deep down, she felt Naruto's pain. And at that moment, with Naruto hanging onto her for dear life, and Sakura crying her heart out, those two were able to share the pain of losing someone that means pretty much everything to them.

Sakura pulled back enough to look Naruto in the eye, and then leaned in to give him a chaste kiss. It was nothing intimate, no. It was just two best friends trying to get as physically and mentally close as possible. It was two siblings, two soul mates, expressing in their love in the only way possible. And it was a warm, familial feeling. A feeling that lasts a lifetime.

"Naruto… I love you. I'll always, always, be there for you… forever."

"I know Sakura, I know."

**~Following You~**

**(1): Fuck my life in German[:**

**I cried, I really did, while writing this chapter. I had to write it though, to explain Naruto's background, and I'm planning on doing the same with the other teammates. Shika will be next, and I'm thinking of mixing Neji and Sakura's story together to explain their pasts and their reasons for being in the Yakuza. And also explain their weird sibling relationship. While Naruto and Sakura have a more familial, warm relationship, Sakura and Neji's is a little bit more different, and it shows a lot of the mistakes the two made in their pasts. **

**This chapter does kinda explain to you why Naruto joined the Yakuza right? Please comment if you don't understand, but I think it's pretty clear even though I didn't outright say it.**

**And NO, Sakura and Naruto have nothing going on, but I just wanted to show their extreme closeness, and maybe I'll explain that when I explain Neji and Sakura's relationship. But that kiss has no intimacy behind it. It was like a kiss you would give to your mother in a way.**

**I am SO sorry for those who have been waiting well forever for this chapter, and hopefully I'll be able to update by next week.**

**Thank you for faithfully following this story even if it has been so long since I last updated.**

**Please tell me how you enjoyed it, so REVIEW! Till next time, dattebayo!**


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